Chickens has become an increasingly popular choice of livestock for breeders everywhere. It’s so popular that if you visit a local village anywhere in Indonesia, almost every corner of the civilisation is at least a home-based chicken farm. This is because chicken farms are a profitable source of income due to their high demands.
The culinary market everywhere will always have a high demand for chicken meat. This white meat can be consumed universally – therefore will always have a high market. More so, breeders could even market their harvest at a higher price due to the market. However, with a price so high, there are responsibilities breeders need to meet to ensure that their farm is worth that high of a price. Therefore, most breeders would opt to invest on supplements to ensure the overall health and quality of their harvests.
As for the type of chickens breeders would favour to raise, most would choose chickens with white feathers – or locally known for vegetable chickens. Another popular choice is Egg-Laying Chickens, who have browning feathers and would require more care than vegetable chickens. The choice of chicken depends on each breeder’s needs and wants, so before choosing one be sure to do more prior research on what every subspecies could offer.
However, if you’ve made your mind and decided that Egg-Laying Chickens are the right subspecies for you, then the research should turn on another end. Egg-Laying Chickens requires special care such as a tailored feed, medication, and of course living spaces in order to live comfortably and healthily. In terms of living spaces, breeders must have the flexible mindset to construct an adjustable living space that could accommodate several sudden changes – such as laying eggs.
After the egg laying process, breeders should be aware that some mother hens would eat their own eggs. Though morbid, this is a common natural reaction for mother hens to do when they spot an egg that does not have the potential to hatch. This may seem like a huge loss, considering the breeders could have sold the unhatched egg, so direct action must be taken to avoid this.
As for the eggs that have the potential to hatch, most breeders would construct an adjustable living cage for these newborn chicks to adjust and live their first few days comfortably. In this article, we will further discuss on what it takes to provide this necessity well. So, without further ado, here are the ways to construct a cage for newborn chicks.
1. Utilise Old Bamboo Trunks
When constructing your first farms, most breeders would opt to utilise old bamboo trunks as the basic material. Aside from being cost efficient, bamboo trunks are easily accessible and commonly used for the same purpose. In fact, most chicken cages are constructed by cut up bamboo trunks. As they age, bamboo trunks get sturdier and safer, so it is wise to invest on older bamboo trunks for your chicken farm’s safety.
2. Use New Screws
In the actual construction stage, be sure that you also invest on new screws to ensure its sturdiness. Rusted screws may ruin the old bamboo materials, and would not provide a sturdy enough cage for these chickens to live comfortably. Be sure that all the materials needed to construct said cage goes through careful regulations that ensures its quality.
3. The Right Size
Considering the size of a newborn chick, breeders would not be required to make a lavish and huge cage for them. The size depends on how many chicks had hatched, but the general rule of thumb suggests that this cage is constructed with the size of 60 x 60 cm. For 30 x 30 cm cages, though it may accomodate these chicks well, they would not be able to move around as comfortably as 60 x 60 cm. Breeders should also consider that the cage has enough space for the mother hen to visit every now and then.
4. Layer the Floor
Another thing breeders must always remember to do is to layer the floor of the cage, and preferably with cardboard. A cardboard layer allows messes to dry up easy, thus making it easier to clean the premises. Aside from cardboard, breeders could invest on a washcloth to cut up and layer the bottom of the cage with. This layer may be beneficial to clean up the messes, but it could also help provide thermal assistance for the newborn chicks.
5. Provide a Feeding Station
Another thing breeders could consider installing in their cage would be a feeding station. Designating a feeding station in their cage allows minimal messes to spread across the premises, thus keeping everything in place. Breeders should also remind themselves to replace and clean up any left overs before they go bad. Unknowingly, your chicken farm could feed off expired feed – that may progressively harm their overall health on the long run.
6. Provide Warming Light
Newborn chicks would require an artificial warming light for warmth. At this period of their lives, they are trying to adjust to the room temperature in comparison to the warmth of the inside of their mother. In regards to the watt of the artificial light, be sure to do more prior research to know what is best for your farm. Every farm requires different needs, but be sure that they light exudes a warm yellow.
7. Provide a Lid
In constructing the cage, be sure to provide a lid that allows the cage to be fully cover. This lid would also protect your chicken farm from direct harsh sunlight, rain, or any natural weather that could potentially harm their farm. However, despite having a protective cover for your cage, breeders are advised to only put your cage out for 15-20 minutes at around 8-9 AM. Exposing them to the outside for too long could mess with their temperature adjustments.
So this marks the end of the list of ways to construct a cage for newborn chicks. Note that these are just general rules of thumb, and alternative ways to create said cage could be adopted according to every breeder’s circumstances. Regardless, we hope that this article could be of good use for future reference!